This invention relates to the contrivance of a tape recorder, and especially to a tape recorder of the cassette type, in which a tape pack, i.e., cassette, is inserted into the driving shafts provided on the recorder frame through the front side of said recorder frame, and the reels mounted on said cassette are fitted to said driving shaft to drive the tape, thereby allowing smooth loading of cassette with shorter stroke, as well as allowing stably loaded state of the cassette.
Cassettes used in tape recorders may be divided into those of the so-called lear-jet type in which the tape is wound on the reel in an endless manner to feed the tape to the front of the head and thereby taking up the tape withdrawn from the innermost part of the tape layer onto the outermost layer, and those of the so-called cassette type having two reels in a tape pack, running the tape between these two reels, withdrawing the tape from the reel by driving the other reel and, at the same time, winding the tape thereof to obtain tape running. By the way, regarding the cassettes of the latter type, provision of the driving shafts are required for the above-mentioned two reels. And in those miniaturized tape recorders, especially those types designed to be installed in the cab of automobiles and other vehicles, it is a modern trend to insert the cassette in the front side of the tape recorder horizontally or maintaining nearly a horizontal state, thereby enabling engagement and disengagement of the driving shaft, and thereby allowing for the cassette to assume a stable reproducing condition by utilizing the motion at the time of pushing in the cassette. However, with the earlier devices, the force at the time of inserting or loading the cassette is consumed for fitting the driving shaft to the reel of cassette, and moving the moving frame, slide member, and all other springs related and other related members for stably holding the cassette to the reproducing condition; hence insertion of the cassette requires a considerable force. Especially, miniaturized cassette makes its smooth loading rather difficult, and the loading at the time of establishing a reproducing condition, i.e., at the last moment of cassette loading, lacks smoothness.